This is our third trip to Vegas. Obviously we like the place. This trip served as a decompression chamber between the slow pace and warm temperatures of Maui and the frantic normal pace of home and its snow and icy weather. We had three goals in Vegas, adjust to the time zone change, eat well and play the slots. With the prodding of my locally based nephew and the hotel concierge we managed to find a few other things to do, too. (For information about the foodie places check out my journal "Vegas Victuals".) We enjoy the glitz and large than life aspect of Vegas. What a contrast from the mellow Maui glow we had. And what a contrast from the Iowa landscape we would return to which was coated in whites and grays.
We relied on the nephew, taxi drivers and shuttles for transportation. Of course we hoofed it a little. Our timeshare was a short block from the Miracle Mile entrance to Planet Hollywood, an easy walk in 85-degree weather. That’s right they were having a November heat wave, so our plans to gradually adjust to temperature change from Maui to Iowa were dashed.
During our visit Las Vegas was suffering from a sudden halt to their building boom. The landscape was studded with construction cranes. Unfortunately a lot of them were inactive. It left a strange sci-fi ghost town feel to the city. Casinos suffered from a decline in tourism. We did notice that most of the gambling action was at the slots. Rows and rows of gaming tables sat empty. Things picked up a little on Friday, but the weekdays were dead. We were super cautious about spending this trip due to the recent upheavals in the economy. I did little shopping and we decided to not go to any shows. Ticket prices have gotten outrageous compared to similar shows at home. My apologies to Vegas for not single handedly spurring their economy. I know Vegas will adapt/survive and we look forward to a return visit.